Application of a transient elastography technique to the characterization of the arterial wall elasticity

Modifications on the biomechanical properties of the arterial wall can be associated to various diseases, for example hypertension or atherosclerosis. The early detection of these modifications could be used as a predictor factor for these pathologies. Transient elastography has shown to be a very efficient way to determine non-invasive the mechanical parameters of living tissue. In this work a transient elastography technique is adapted for the in vitro evaluation of the shear elasticity of the arterial wall. Experiences on an arterial phantom made of PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVA) gel under pulsatile flow and pressure conditions were performed. The obtained results are in good agreement with the reported results for PVA-Gels and with previous elastographic characterization.